Healthcare

Medical malpractice; limitation on recovery; certain actions. Eliminates the cap on the recovery in actions against health care providers for medical malpractice where the act or acts of malpractice occurred on or after July 1, 2026, and occurred against a patient age 10 or younger.

Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); fundamental right to reproductive freedom. Provides for a referendum at the November 3, 2026, election to approve or reject an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia relating to the right to make one's own decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion. The amendment protects patients and their doctors and nurses from being punished for making such decisions. The amendment allows the state to place restrictions on access to abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy except when the patient's life or physical or mental health is at risk or the pregnancy cannot survive. This bill is identical to SB 449.

Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program established; report. Establishes the Virginia Fire Personnel and Equipment Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of awarding grants to localities to hire additional firefighters and to improve their firefighting and emergency medical services. The bill specifies that the Department of Fire Programs (the Department) shall administer the Program and two types of grants shall be made from the Program. The first shall provide grants to localities to increase the number of firefighters. Such grants shall be made for up to three years and shall be used by localities for programs to (i) hire new, additional full-time firefighters; (ii) convert part-time or volunteer firefighters to full-time firefighters; or (iii) recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. The second shall award grants to localities for improving firefighting and emergency medical services, including by acquiring firefighting and emergency medical services vehicles and equipment and modifying facilities. For both grants, the bill provides that funds shall not be used to supplant any funds currently provided by the Commonwealth or by the locality and shall be used to increase the total amount of funds available for the provision of firefighting or emergency medical services. The bill requires the Department to submit a report annually, beginning November 1, 2027, to the Governor and the General Assembly containing a list of grants, the amount of each approved grant, information on the performance assessment system that the bill directs the Department to create, an evaluation of each grant based on such system, and any other criteria deemed relevant by the Department.

School boards; courses of instruction; high school courses or dual enrollment programs for certification as a certified nurse aide, emergency medical technician, or firefighter; establishment permitted; requirements. Permits any school board to provide to high school students, either on school premises or through a dual enrollment program or other partnership with a comprehensive community college, courses of instruction that prepare students for and lead to (i) certification as a certified nurse aide, provided that such course is approved by and meets the requirements of the Board of Nursing and is taught by a qualified individual, consistent with the requirements of the Board of Nursing; (ii) certification as an emergency medical technician, provided that such course is consistent with the requirements established by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and taught by an emergency medical technician instructor who meets the requirements set forth in the bill; or (iii) firefighting level 1 certification, as defined by the bill, provided that such course is consistent with the National Fire Protection Association 1001, level one, firefighter standards as administered by the Department of Fire Programs and taught by an individual qualified to provided such instruction. The bill also requires any school board that provides any such course of instruction on school premises to high school students to ensure that any individual employed, contracted, or permitted to volunteer to provide instruction in such course meets the requirements set forth in applicable law relating to data on convictions for certain crimes and child abuse and neglect, fingerprinting, and criminal history records checks.